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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The holidays are in full force and for many of you, that means entertaining and playing hostess. Preparing to host a dinner party and/or having house guests during the holidays often forces us look at our home in a different light...one that magnifies all of the imperfections, the clutter, the dust, the outdated decor, and so on. Most people I know (myself included) feel the need give their home a small decorating pick-me-up before having a bunch of guests over...especially if they haven't seen your house in a while. Here are 10 simple ways to give your home a mini makeover in a snap! What other suggestions do you have to spruce up your decor quickly? Please share your thoughts!

1. Accent Pillows - revive your sofa by switching out existing pillows with new ones or by re-covering old pillows with new pillow covers. It will do wonders!

2. Freshen up the guest bedroom with new linens and organize accessories and guest necessities on a decorative tray, which can be placed on a vanity, console table or nightstand.

3. Re-hang existing artwork by grouping together interesting pieces with 3-dimensional objects (shelves, carvings, etc.). Scour your entire home for random pieces of wall decor that can be grouped together to make one beautiful statement wall!

4. Asses the need for additional lighting in darker rooms. Add an eclectic table lamp or floor lamp to brighten up a space that feels dim and depressing.

5. Re-organize an overcrowded bookcase or cluttered shleving. Arrange books both upright and stacked on their side. Mix in accessories of various shapes and sizes to add interest and color.

7. Nothing changes the look and feel of a space more than paint! It doesn't have to be a major project - just paint a single accent wall in the dining room, entry, bedroom, etc. for an instant make-over.

8. New table linens - rejuvenate your kitchen nook or dining room with a fresh new tablecloth and linen napkins. Choose something with color or a subtle pattern.

9. Change up your decor with a new accent rug. Create your own with the affordable carpet tiles from Flor (approx. $12.99 per 20" x 20" tile).

10. I believe every home should have a vase of fresh flowers at all times. Flowers do wonders for a space - big arrangement or small - they add color and life!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy Monday. Hope you enjoyed the long holiday weekend! I'm finally feeling better after being out of commission for the last 5 days from a nasty cold. Today is "Cyber Monday" and if any of you are in the mood to do a little online shopping, I'd like to invite you over to Modern Chic Home, where you can save 20% off your entire purchase over $50 with promo code CyberChic20. (Excludes wallpaper. US orders only. Promo code expires Monday, November 29th at midnight, pacific standard time). Have a fantastic week! xoxo - Julie

Sunday, November 28, 2010

I hope you're enjoying the last day of this long holiday weekend! I have been cooped up in my apartment with an awful cold for the last 4 days...my Friday & Saturday nights consisted of taking lots of shots...of NyQuil that is. I did manage to make it over to my sisters house for Thanksgiving, which was wonderful :) I'm finally starting to feel better today, but not quite good enough to get out and do something. Anyway, I miss blogging and I thought I'd pop in to say hello and share a little inspiration on this beautiful Sunday. I did a similar post a few weeks ago, about taking inspiration from an outfit and transforming it into a space. I pulled the main colors from this fabulous ensemble to create a color palette and found images of a living room and bedroom that both represented the texture and colors of the outfit nicely. That's it for now...I'm crawling back in bed to rest up so I can wake up feeling like a new person tomorrow!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Get ready to save some major $$$ this Friday and Saturday during Modern Chic Home's Black Friday Bliss event! Kick off the holiday season and get a head start on your gift shopping list! Sale starts Thursday @ midnight and runs through Saturday. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! xoxo - Julie

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving is just two short days away and if you're in need of some last minute decorating ideas, I've pulled together some inspiration photos that are simple and festive. I especially love the canned pumpkin vases in image #2, the metallic gold mini-pumpkins in image #6 and the clever leftover take-home boxes in image #9! My sister is hosting Thanksgiving this year and I'm looking forward to a relaxing day with my family, lots of delicious food, good wine and a chance to reflect on all of the blessings God has given me. What are your plans this year?

Last week I hosted a giveaway and the results are in! Nicole was selected via Random.org. Her comment was, "My 14 year old daughter is begging to redo her bedroom....this would be perfect for her!" Congratulations Nicole - I'm so excited for you and your daughter and hope this sweet little fixture will be perfect for her bedroom. A big thank you to everyone for participating in this giveaway - it was fun reading everyone's unique and creative ideas on where they would hang the chandelier :) And thank you to Crystorama for offering all belle maison readers a chance to win such a fabulous giveaway!

Friday, November 19, 2010

So glad the weekend is here! I'm heading down to San Diego for my best friend's bachelorette party and am looking forward to a night of drinks, dancing and girl time. Sunday is her bridal shower so I'll definitely be posting pictures of how it turns out! Before I sign off, I wanted to share with you Brandon Barre, a photographer whose work is amazing. You may recognize some of the images featured in this post, which have been featured in Elle Decor, Canadian House & Home, Style at Home, and Elle Decoration(Fr), among many others. Check out his website to see his complete portfolio and notable client list. Lots of inspiration here! Any plans for the weekend? Enjoy! xoxo - Julie

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belle maison is french for "beautiful home." as an interior designer, i started this blog to catalog my finds, hoping to inspire others by sharing fabulous resources, articles and photographs. enjoy and please visit again!
xo - julie thigpen